The Sorting Ceremony
by LoveLoony
Summary: Albus Severus Potter has started his old fretting again, which house will he be in, Gryffindor or Slytherin? Now he'll finally know. Picture art by Leochi DeviantART


_**I don't really know how this site works with putting stories on so this is my practice story; I hope it is good all the same. Disclaimer I don't own anything related to Harry Potter that is all J.K. Rowling's I only made up the plot to this story all the characters and places are hers. The beautiful cover picture is courtesy of *Leochi if you like it go to leochi. deviantart. com to check out more of their stuff.**_

**The Sorting Ceremony**

The train ride was a little boring, well at least nothing exciting happened; I sat next to Rose and Luke the whole time we bought some sweets to entertain us and when James heard we had candy he, Roxy and Louis came in and took a **whole** bucket full.

But when we got to the station we all had our robes on and everything we followed a very large man named Hagrid, dad told me all about him, and he even knew me! The boat ride was pretty exciting a boy named Scorpius fell out of the boat I was in and I helped him get back in, he was very nice and I hoped that he wouldn't mind being my friend, and he didn't. Other than that it wasn't that exciting until the castle came in view and it was as wonderful as my dad said.

We all got out of the boats and walked into the entrance hall, it was huge, and I was walking with Rose, Luke and Scorpius. We were greeted by a witch with a kind but stern face, long brown bushy hair and wearing deep purple robes. _Aunt Hermione!_ "Rose, that's your mum!" I whispered to her, she looked at me and whispered back saying "yeah I know!"

"The firs' years, Professor Weasley," said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She led us to a small chamber across the hall from two very large doors which I assumed to be the doors to the Great Hall my dad told me about. I knew everything about the sorting ceremony, but other kids were not so lucky. "I heard that we have to do magic, some sort of test" one of the boys were saying, "but I don't know any magic yet! What if I fail" another girl was worrying about. All I was worrying about was which house I was going to be put in.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Aunt Hermione. "The start-of-term banquet will begin any moment, but before you join us for the welcome feast, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is very important here, your house will be sort of like you family whilst at Hogwarts. You will have your classes mostly with the rest of your of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room, though I know most of you may make other friends they will not be allowed in other common rooms.  
>"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts, your achievements and good behavior will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. I hope each of you will be a great addition to your new house.<br>"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She looked at a boy to my left, who had a chunk of his hair sticking up, then looked at a girl behind me whose skirt was lopsided, then at me but I checked and there was nothing wrong with me, I looked back at her and noticed she was smiling I smiled back.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," she said to the rest of us. "Please wait quietly." And with that she left the chamber. Right then the buzz of conversation started as everyone was introducing themselves to everyone else. I only met a few people, I met a girl called Holly, she had blonde hair and was rather short, she didn't have many freckles, but she had blue eyes and she was very energetic. I also met a boy named Joshua and his twin sister Gemma, they had brown hair, a light brown/olive skin, brown eyes and they were quite nice except Gemma seemed a little shy. Just then Aunt Hermione came back, she cleared her throat to get everybody's attention then said "Now, form a line, and follow me."

I felt the excitement bubble up inside of me as we formed a line to file into the Great Hall. Luke was in front, Rose was behind him, I was behind Rose and Scorpius was behind me. We walked out of the small chamber across the hall again and through the pair of double doors into the Great Hall. There were four long tables in the hall with one up the front obviously where the teachers sat, the roof looked like the sky a, with stars and clouds and underneath that there were heaps of floating candles. Everyone was staring at us but I guess that happens every year. Once we got to the end of the hall in front of the staff table we all gathered in a big clump, Aunt Hermione placed a stool on the raised section in front of us, and on that stool she place an old frayed and slightly scorched pointed wizards hat. Everyone was staring at the hat and after a few moments of silence the hat began to twitch and then a rip appeared near the brim and it opened wide like a mouth, and then the hat began to sing:

_I'm the sorting hat, I'm old  
>and my colour is all but faded<br>I've been ripped and burned and tossed about  
>by those who have invaded<em>

_ But I'm still here  
>as you can see<br>to help you first years  
>find where you ought to be<em>

_ If you look inside you head  
>and decide where you should go<br>then put me on and I'll decide  
>and then we'll surely know<em>

_ If Gryffindor is what you think  
>if you are brave and true<br>if daring, nerve and chivalry  
>is what you're known to do<em>

_ Then Gryffindor house is for you  
>their table known for trouble<br>if you fit in right there  
>the fun will always double<em>

_ If it's Hufflepuff that finds your fancy  
>those friendly and hardworking<br>patient and underground  
>you'll find those badgers lurking<em>

_ In this house you'll surely find  
>those who are just and loyal<br>those with dreams all the same  
>and unafraid of toil.<em>

_ If Ravenclaw is your pick  
>if you are wise at heart<br>if you're brilliant and witty  
>then learning is your art<em>

_ Your art will lead you here  
>to the company of the best<br>to those with the sharpest minds  
>who are cleverer than the rest.<em>

_ If it's Slytherin which calls to you  
>ambitious and quite cunning<br>if you're sly and endearing  
>and not afraid of running<em>

_ Then this house is the place for you  
>their dungeons run quite deep<br>but of those friends you make at Hogwarts  
>most of these you keep<em>

_ So come on up you first years  
>and on your head I will be placed<br>and then I will see  
>all that you have faced<em>

_ Trust me if you please  
>I've never once been wrong<br>and here it comes for all of you  
>the ending of this song<em>

Everyone in the hall burst into applause after the hat finished its song. The sorting hat bowed to each of the four houses and then became still again.

Now I started my old fretting again, what house will I be in, what if I get put in Slytherin, will people hate me? Just then Aunt Hermione stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will come forward, put on the hat and sit on the stool, to be sorted," she said. "Abercrombe, Justin!"  
>A pink-faced boy with dark brown hair stepped out of the line and placed the hat on his head and sat down. The hat fell over his eyes and was silent for a moment and then- "Ravenclaw!" shouted the hat.<br>"Boot, Henry" said Aunt Hermione. "Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat.  
>There were a few more names but I wasn't paying any attention until, "Creevey, Emily!" I remember my dad mentioning that last name once. A girl with pretty, long, dirty blonde hair and a nice smile walked up and sat on the stool and put the hat on. "Gryffindor!" shouted the hat and the Gryffindor table exploded.<br>A few more people were sorted, Slytherin got their first one, Hufflepuff got a few more and so did Ravenclaw until, "Finch-Fletchley, Amelia!" was sorted into Gryffindor. Then up came the girl I met in the chamber, "Finnigan, Holly!" I remember my dad talking about her dad and how he always seemed to have things explode in his face. The hat took a little while to decide on Holly but after a minute or two she was sorted into "Gryffindor!"  
>I looked at Rose who was standing next to me, she was going to be one of the last to get sorted and I could tell by the look on her face she didn't want to disappoint her family. She turned to me and said "they'll still love me if I get into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, right? You'll still love me right!" "I'll still love you even if you get sorted into Slytherin and so will they!" I told her and this helped her calm down. We looked back to who was getting sorted now and a boy with really light brown hair just joined Slytherin, when Aunt Hermione called out, "Longbottom, Luke!"<br>"Oh no" Luke groaned, Rose turned to him and said, "Don't worry you'll be fine!" he started walking "Thanks" he told us.

* * *

><p>I heard my name get called out "Longbottom, Luke!" I couldn't suppress a groan "Oh no" I said, Rose turned to me and said, "Don't worry you'll be fine!" she always made me feel better; I started walking up but turned back and said, "Thanks." I walked up to the stool picked up the hat, sat down and put the hat on. The hat dropped over my eyes so it was completely black, then I heard a quiet voice in my ear, "hmm" it said, I sat there silent trying not to disturb it. "You are quite difficult, I see kindness, and friendship, but I also see some courage and bravery, so which will be stronger," the voice in my ear said "please be Gryffindor, oh please be Gryffindor," I kept on thinking. "So you want to be in Gryffindor" the voice in my ear said, "I can see that, better be GRYFFINDOR!" The last word the hat said aloud to the whole hall, the Gryffindor table burst into applause, I was so relieved and I knew my dad would be proud of me. I saw Albus and Rose grinning at me I gave them a wave before running off to join the Gryffindors.<p>

* * *

><p>He sat there for at least two, two and a half minutes before the hat yelled Gryffindor, I was starting to get worried, but afterward I was so happy for him and I knew he deserved to be there. Next up was, Micah McDougall in Hufflepuff, Read Macmillan in Ravenclaw, then "Malfoy, Scorpius!" Aunt Hermione said loudly, you could hear many of the other students say things about him, bad things, about this boy I basically only just met. He looked at me and I smiled at him and he smiled back.<p>

* * *

><p>I heard my name get called "Malfoy, Scorpius", and I heard all the terrible things about me and my dad. No one really likes my dad, but I love him he's my dad. I looked over at Albus and I knew my dad wouldn't really approve of our friendship but, I really like him and I think we could be great friends. I saw him smile at me and so I smiled back hoping that whatever the outcome he would still be my friend. I sat on the stool and pull the hat over me eyes and waited. "Hmm" It said in my ear, "Malfoy, I remember your father, arrogant but strong." it said, I just stayed silent. "you have a sharp mind Master Malfoy, but strategy is where you excel so I think it better be SLYTHERIN!" as per usual the last word was shouted to the entire hall. The Slytherin table cheering in welcome though I know I don't really want to be there. I put on a smile I know is fake and shoot an apologetic look at Albus and I know he knows my smile is fake too and walk off to join the Slytherins.<p>

* * *

><p>He sat there longer than I expected but not long enough to call a hat stall, but then the hat called Slytherin and I was a little anxious. I really wanted to be his friend but I didn't know how hard or complicated it would be to be his friend but I was determined to try. He stood up and he had a smile on his face which was so obviously fake that no one saw it, then he shot me an apologetic glace and I knew he wasn't happy.<p>

I was really distracted thinking about Scorpius that I didn't really pay attention to Lachlan McDonald becoming Hufflepuff, or Jack McCormack becoming Ravenclaw or even Mia McKinnon becoming a Gryffindor but Henry McLaggan caught my eye with what happened to him. He sat on the chair like anyone else but obviously when the hat started talking to him he got so startle he yelled and fell backwards off the stool, it was very funny everyone was laughing even headmistress McGonigall. When he got back up his cheeks were bright tomato red and the hat which had fallen off his head was put back on and it immediately yelled was looking very embarrassed as he walked over to the cheering Gryffindors.

Then Ella Nott was placed in Ravenclaw, and up came one of the twins I met in the hall, "Odgen, Gemma" and she was put in Gryffindor, then up came her brother, "Odgen, Joshua" and he had one of the sorting's I don't think anyone will forget. He sat on the chair and very confidently put on the hat, a few seconds later the hat yelled, "Slytherin" the cheer by the slytherins was cut short because joshua pulled the hat off his head yelled "I will not be in Slytherin!" to it and threw it on the ground and stormed out of the hall leaving a stunned and confused audience behind him. Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, who still works here, quickly ran after him and the Slytherins sat back down feeling very confused.

My name was getting closer and closer by the minute, Chloe O'Hare was put in Slytherin, and William Peakes was in Hufflepuff then it was my turn, "Potter, Albus". I have two if **the **most memorable names in this school 'Albus' and 'Potter', so when they were called out everyone started whispering and talking to the person next to them about me. The weird thing is that I don't even know why they are famous, why they're special, my dad never told me.

I sat on the stool feeling nervous and placed the hat on my head, as I was doing so I looked at my friends, Rose smiling in encouragement, Luke giving me a thumbs up, and Scorpius giving me a genuine smile which made it easier to accept whatever house the hat would put me in. "Hmm" the voice said in my ear, "difficult, very difficult, just like your father, bravery I see, not a bad mind, but where to put you?" I decided not to complain and just to accept whatever house the hat thought I will be best in. "You'll be great in SLYTHERIN!" just like all the others the last word was shouted to the whole hall. I took the hat on and looked at the reactions of those I love. Rose was smiling and clapping encouragingly, Luke and James were clapping too and getting a few quizzical looks from the other Gryffindors, and the person clapping the hardest and smiling the most was Scorpius, I could see he was ecstatic that I was in his house and this made me feel a whole lot better about being in slytherin.

I all but ran and hugged him and sat next to him and we were smiling the whole time. I wasn't really paying attention to the next few people Sienna Rowe was sorted into Ravenclaw, Riley Radford got into Griffindor, and Isabella Thomas was put into Slytherin she's pretty cool. But I stopped talking to her when I heard "Weasley, Rose" I saw her walk up and sit on the stool and Aunt Hermione gave her an encouraging smile.

* * *

><p>I heard my mum call my name and I was <strong>so<strong> nervous I sat down on the stool and looked at mum, she smiled at me and I put the hat on. "Another Weasley, yet different, with a fantastic mind, I think you'd be great in RAVENCLAW!" the Ravenclaw table cheered like crazy and I could see Dom cheering like crazy for me. I smiled and Mum pat me on the back and I walk over to the Ravenclaw table seeing all my friends cheering for me.

* * *

><p>She walked to her new house and I saw her smile and wave to me and then the last person was sorted, Thomas Zabini came into my house then Professor McGonnigal stood up and said "Now that we're all sorted let's get onto our feast, enjoy" and just then the plates on our tables filled up it was magical and I was so amazed. The feast was so good and so much fun! Chloe, Sienna, Scorpius and I bacame great friends and evrything was going great until a guy named Russell in 5th year came up to us and asked 'how it felt to have our parent be enemies but we were friends, he said we must be a shame to our parents and asked us if we liked our parents'. It really hurt me but then Scorpius stood up and said "I don't care if our parents hate each other, we don't and you should walk away right now if you still want to be smiling". He walked away and the four of us laughed and had a great night.<p>

Over the course of dinner I visited Rose and Dom as well as Luke and James. At the end of dessert Professor McGonnigal stood up and said "Okay, you've all had a long day today and it's time for bed, Prefects, show the first years to their dormitories and the rest of you have a good night." I said goodnight to my family and followed friends and the Prefect to our common room, I found that I shared a dorm with Scorpius, Joshua and a boy named David. We stayed up for a little while and then we said goodnight to each other than I fell asleep surrounded by friends and I no longer felt unhappy about being in Slytherin.

_**The End!**_


End file.
